Remembering: The One Man Hit-Parade

http://www.andrephilippegagnon.com/videos-en.htmlBiography

In 1985, André-Philippe Gagnon first acquired his international reputation. He participated for the first time at the prestigious Montreal Just for Laughs festival with an incredible act, impersonating with accuracy every artist of the song We are the World, the famed song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and recorded by USA for Africa. Thanks to the success of his performance at the Just for Laughs festival, Gagnon was invited to present his version of We Are the World on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, reaching an audience of 15 million American viewers. The after-effects of this televised performance were immediate. International offers began to come forward, including an invitation to the Victoires de la Musique in Paris and to the gala Cinema Chante in Gstaad, Switzerland, where he had the opportunity to meet Frank Sinatra, one of the artists that he best imitates.

Following his international success, a first tour in his home province of Quebec was planned for 1986. 21,000 tickets were sold in only 3 hours - an all time record! That same year Gagnon performed several times throughout the United States, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Atlantic City. Less then two years after his Tonight Show performance Gagnon participated as a guest, alongside with Lionel Ritchie, on Champs Elysees, the most popular French TV Show, watched by more than 22 million European viewers. Continue